


little less talking

by stephenssupreme



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 22:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12781263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephenssupreme/pseuds/stephenssupreme
Summary: college au // tony stark and stephen strange just want to fuck around and hey, occasionally fuck each other?





	1. Chapter 1

Going to a good college was all Stephen could have ever dreamed for; all his parents could dreamed for. Of course, working hard was a priority if he was going to become the accomplished neurosurgeon he wished to be, however, Stephen also lived for another aspect of college.

 

The social life.

 

Back home in Nebraska he didn’t really have much of a social life and that wasn’t out of choice. There just simply weren’t many people around and considering that his family lived on a farm on the outskirts of a small, quaint town - it ended up being pretty lonesome. His mother and father kept him company and even his little brother from time to time, however, that wasn’t what the young man yearned for. He wanted the freedom to go out and actually meet someone new for once! Not someone he had known since the age of… Well, in all honesty, since he was born.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sat in his new dorm, boxes littering the floor space, Stephen let out a sigh, looking over at the empty bed opposite him. He had never shared a room before and was dreading the moment when his new roommate arrived. What if it was some city boy who thought himself better than everyone else? Stephen himself was a rather confident young man but that was just compared to the rest of the quiet people in his hometown - he had no idea what he’d be like compared to other confident people. It worried him, honestly. 

 

A pleasant wave of relief washed over him as the long awaited roommate arrived though. He didn’t look too brutish nor did he look like a pushover . He looked handsome, yes  _ but  _ that wasn’t the point. The point was; he looked normal. That was a good start. Another good start was when it was the newcomer that introduced himself first.

“I’m assuming you’re my roommate? I’m Tony: I’m studying engineering.” Tony stopped where he was, a slight smile on his features as he waited for the other boy to do the same.

“ Oh, hey. I’m Stephen and I’m studying medical sciences - glad I’ve been paired up with a sciences student - don’t think I could have coped if I was paired up with a drama student or something like that. Only so much talking to yourself and singing I think I can cope with.” He laughed a little at his own rambling but it was more of a nervous laugh compared to anything. Thankfully, Tony scoffed a little too. Good.

 

The two then fell into a mutual silence, storing their belongings away and putting up photos and posters they had brought from home. Stephen’s side of the room was decorated with glossy band posters and photos he had taken with the few friends he had back home. Tony’s side was much the same, all bar the photos - on that part, he was lacking. Spotting that Stephen had one of the exact same posters as he did, though, sparked up a conversation, the boys enthusing over their favourites songs from the most recent album and reminiscing on the older stuff. It was safe to say it put them both at ease.

 

* * *

 

 

The two of them may have not been in the same classes but they still found time to hang out together whenever they could. It felt far too cheesy to admit but they really had been paired up with the best possible person they could have been with. Similar yet different enough not to get bored of one another.  Neither of them joined up to any sports, both in agreement that they could spend their time doing much better things. For the first couple of days, however, those better things consisted of sitting in their dorm, both on their phones texting people from god knows where.  That changed when Stephen actually sent a text to Tony though. It was easier than talking and then accidentally coughing at the same time, okay?

 

**You look happy. Talking to someone from back home? [ SENT 04:33PM ]**

 

**\- Girlfriend. [ SENT 04:33PM ]**

 

**Hold up, you never told me you had a girlfriend. I’m not surprised but you gotta tell your roomie these details, man. What’s her name? [ SENT 04:36PM ]**

 

**\- You never asked, idiot! Btw her name’s Pepper. We’ve been together for like a year now. [ SENT 04:36PM ]**

 

**Pics or it’s not true. [ SENT 04:36PM ]**

 

Shaking his head, Tony got up from his own bed and wandered over to Stephen’s, sitting on the edge as he scrolled through his gallery, picking out a suitable photo to then show his friend.

“Believe me now?”

“Alright, alright. She’s pretty hot too… Fuck you, Stark!” He sat upright, grabbing his pillow and hitting the side of him with it. “Look at you living the high life. I dated a girl for like a month back in Nebraska but all she ever wanted to do was go to the movies. I tried to kiss her once and she punched me in the face. It was safe to say, we just weren’t made for each other, I guess. Since then I haven’t dated a single soul - I’ve just kept things free and noncommittal, you get me?”

Tony nodded, understanding what he meant, though he was still trying to hold back his own laugh about Stephen being punched in the face. 

“Can I tell you something though, Stephen...I’ve never done this long distance thing before. It’s only been a few days and I’m already—”

“Missing her?”

“No. Worse than that. I’m bored. It’s nice to text and everything but there’s only so many times I can type ‘I love you too’. Any advice on that, Mr Noncommittal?”

The boy shrugged, dropping the pillow back down onto his mattress. “I don’t know, send nudes? Look, I’m not the best at romantic advice.” 

“When the hell am I supposed to do that? You’re sat in there and the bathroom is a public one and I don’t need someone walking in on that.” Wow. He was actually considering it. 

“Do it in here, I don’t care. I’ll get on with one of my essays while you… Do what you have to do.” Stephen placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezed it, saying to him in a mock serious tone; “whack it out for the fate of your relationship, bro. This is your destiny.” 

 

Standing up, Stephen made his way over to the desk, opening up his laptop and plugging in a pair of headphones so Tony had a bit of privacy. Writing the title to his essay was easier said than done though. Yes, even the title was troubling the student at the moment. Without thinking, he pulled his headphones down and turned his head, wanting to ask Tony for some imput, completely forgetting that the other boy was rather busy. Luckily, the moment Stephen spun around Tony had his eyes shut, softly biting down on his bottom lip as he touched himself, even a soft whimper coming out of him. Realising his mistake, Stephen was quick to snap back to his laptop and pull his headphones back on. He couldn’t get that sight out his mind though and nor did he want to, really. Oh god, this wasn’t going to end well. At least he figured out his title now:

 

‘Emotions. Do they control us or do we control them? Who’s  _ really _ in charge here?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before anyone complains, i will not do pepper potts injustice - she will get the dream ending she deserves, she's just not one of the *main* characters at the moment so not too much focus will be on her
> 
> also, i tagged the movies and comics and such because i need to get this out there and to get it out there, i gotta draw you in with known tags. guilty as charged!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays have come around and Tony had been planning on staying at the college campus the whole time...

That term seemed to fly by and before they knew it, the festive holidays had come around, students packing up their bags with dirty laundry and the occasional text book -  _ just so their families believed they were working hard.  _ When it came to Stephen and Tony, however, Stephen happened to notice that Tony hadn’t packed a single thing. Was he really planning to stay at college for the whole holiday period?

“Leaving it a bit late to pack, aren’t we?” Stephen asked, squatted down on the floor as he made a desperate attempt to push one last hoodie into his tightly packed rucksack. 

“I’m not packing. Staying here.” He didn’t say much on the matter and refused to elaborate on his reasons why. Respecting this, Stephen let out a huff as he gave up with his bag, now slumped on the floor, toying with his earing as he spoke.

“You could always come back to Nebraska with me for a couple of weeks? I know it’s like the black void of the US: nothing to do, hardly anyone to see but… You’re welcome to come if you’d like. My mom’s always cooking way too much so she’d be glad to have another mouth at the table.”

 

Stephen knew the was being far too needy with Tony, he honestly hated it. Part of him wished Tony wasn’t even his roommate anymore because that way, maybe… Just  _ maybe _ , he’d be able to stop thinking about him all the time. You see, things had just progressed more and more during their time together. Since that night where Stephen turned around when he shouldn’t have, he couldn’t have anything else on his mind. It wasn’t simply the fact that he saw Tony’s cock - it was more than that. It was his face. The soft biting of his lip and a hint of blushing warming up his cheeks. Stephen wanted to be the one to cause such a display. Not that he planned to, but Stephen would often spend nights laying there awake, wondering if Tony ever thought of him in the same way.

 

Of course he didn’t. He had Pepper. Pepper was great. Amazing. That was no exageration on Stephen’s part either; he truly did like her. He was jealous, yes, but at least she was the thing that stopped him from making a move every time he was close to Tony. She gave him a reason to stay away and not hurt himself in that way. So yes, he was jealous but also oddly grateful. That being said, if Tony were to make the first move, Stephen wouldn’t refuse him. That way, he wouldn’t be to blame, at least, not as much. 

 

Yet there Stephen was, inviting Tony to join him in Nebraska for the holidays, luring him in if that was even possible.

“You sure? I won’t be in the way, will I?”

“Not at all!” Thankfully,  Tony had accepted the offer so before he could say ‘no’, Stephen shut up. No more talk of his family until he got there. If he had told Tony he lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere with his parents, his little sister and his even younger brother, he might have scared him away. Donna, his sister, had just turned sixteen recently and was already much more independent than Stephen was at that age. As for the youngest sibling, Victor, he was only nine years old - the prime age to be nosey and up in Stephen’s business.

 

\---

 

It was Eugene Strange - Stephen’s father - who picked them both up at the airport. He had a head of grey hair paired with salt-and-pepper stubble and a pair of thick rimmed glasses. Seeing his son for the first time in a few months did, however, bring a smile to the old man’s face. Or was it Tony that brought a smile to his face? Obviously he had heard all about Tony but not through Stephen - he knew him through knowing about Tony’s father, Howard. Everyone knew who Howard Stark was and to have  _ the _ Howard Stark’s son over for Christmas felt like providing hospitality to a celebrity. 

“You boys get in the truck - I have to buy a late birthday present for Donna while I’m here.” Throwing the keys towards Stephen who pulled them into his chest, Eugene winked at Tony, trying to keep his greeting all cool and collected. 

“You forgot her birthday?” Stephen himself felt offended by that. How could his dad forget his own daughter’s birthday. Her sixteenth.

“No, no, no. I was busy. Your mom told you we started to rent out stables, right? Turns out the whole of the county want to stable their horses with us over the winter so I’ve been busy all day every day. That’s your job now, by the way - you’re my stable boys.” Before his son could object, Eugene was gone, off in search of something to buy.

 

Both young men sat in the back of the truck, their bags stored in the trunk so there was more space and since they weren’t moving anywhere yet, Stephen sat sideways, his back leaning against the locked door. 

“Ever ridden a horse before, city boy?” Stephen asked, a proud smirk on his face, pleased that he could do something more impressive that Tony. If he couldn’t have the man, he was determined to be better than the man.

“No,” shrugged the other boy, though his finger shot up in the air soon after to silence anything STephen was about to say: “but I have rode a camel before. My dad moved us to Sudan for six months when I was younger.”

“Bet you never rode one on your own though, bet you had someone do it for you while you sat there.”

“Actually, no. I had six months to spare and one of the camel owner’s son’s taught me. Can’t be much more different than riding a horse, right?” 

“We’ll see, big shot. We’ll see.” Stephen kicked his leg out to tease Tony but he knew deep down it was merely an excuse to touch him. Even if it was disguised as a mock attempt to hurt him, it was still the reason nonetheless. 

 

Soon enough Mr Strange was back with two bags in either hand, throwing them down onto the passenger seat beside him before starting up the car. All it took was a single glance back at the two younger men to tell them to buckle up or else he wasn’t moving anywhere. Eugene was fair but he was also stern. What he said went in the Strange household and there was hardly ever any arguing against him.

 

\---

 

“Stevie!”

 

Great. That was how he was greeted back: it was so embarrassing to hear that name when he had been trying to act cool in front of his new friend. He expected that name to come from this mom but instead it was a young boy who yelled that, bounding out in rubber boots which wobbled around because they were too big for him.

“Hey, Vic. Wait, are those mine?!” Stephen pointed down at his boots, pretending to sound angry but the smile on his face was telling that he wasn’t mad at all.

“Mommy said I could have them while you were gone. I asked if I could have your room too but she didn’t let me.” Pouting, Victor kicked at the ground, dust flying up and landing on Tony’s black jeans, creating a horrible, orange stain on them.

“Sorry!”

“It’s, uh…” Tony didn’t know what to say to the boy. He hardly ever spent time around kids his age when he was that young and he didn’t expect to see kids running around as soon as he arrived.

“It’s fine, Victor. He’s just jet lagged. Me too actually. Come on, let’s get inside.” Stephen grabbed ahold of his brother’s shoulder and physically turned him around, playfully marching him inside, letting his guard down around Tony for once. As much as he wanted to impress him, he didn’t want to upset his little brother either.

 

As they walked in, Tony pulled his phone on, groaning just before they entered the house.

“Fuck, there’s no signal out here—”

“There never is,” interrupted a young female voice, a girl walking past into the kitchen, she too on her phone. This must have been Donna. She had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing what Tony presumed were pajamas. Luckily, she didn’t seem phased by Tony’s arrival at all and it was a relief, honestly. 

“We have wifi, though, don’t fret!” Yet  _ another  _ voice was speaking up now, Stephen’s mother popping her head round the corner, a sweet smile on her face. Everyone seemed so friendly here. So loving. Tony, if he was honest, felt completely out of place. 

 

They had a wonderful dinner and thankfully, Stephen had come to realise how awkward Tony was feeling and led him upstairs to his - now  _ their _ \- room. “It’s just a roll up mattress on the floor so... I’ll sleep there. You can have my bed.” Stephen chucked his bag on the floor and instantly went over to one of his many band posters, sticking the corner back up from where it had started to curl back over.

“You never told me about your family,” Tony eventually spoke up, sitting down on the bed, his bag between his legs, still holding onto it with one hand.

“Never came up, did it?” Stephen shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at the boy. “Besides, they’re just normal. Nothing exciting but nothing too bad either.”

Was he kidding? His family was amazing. Tony would have given anything to have a family like this instead of a father that was always away and a mother who usually went away with her husband anyway. It was as if Tony didn’t even have a family sometimes.

“Do you think everything about you is normal then, Strange? Ironic given your…”

“No name puns! We agreed that in our first week, remember!” Stephen and Tony had briefly made an agreement that there would be no puns about either of their last names. It was a burden they had to bare with every other new person so to have peace between each other was a breath of fresh air. “And not everything about me is ‘normal’.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me something unique about you then?” Enjoying friendly banter like this again made Tony feel more at ease again and Stephen could sense this so he gave in and answered his friend’s question, though his answer was partly a lie.

 

He wanted to tell him about how every evening he daydreamed about making out with his roomate. How he got hard whenever he thought too much about  _ him _ . About how he was unique because he cared so much that he forced himself not to care at all. Instead, something much more dreary came out:

  
“I have a box full of old pokemon cards I collected when I was younger. Did you know, I caught them  _ all. _ I also stole a few but hey! I had to grind back in the day.” Fuck. He felt so pathetic. Why. Why did he have to be so fucking infatuated with his guy? He could have been crushing on anyone on campus, instead he crushes on his supposedly straight roommate who has a girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta love some slow burn, am i right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day at the stables...

Due to their little talk about horse riding on their way to the Strange residence, it was practically set in stone that they’d have to go out one day and take a ride around the farm. That, and it was also their  _ job _ now to look after the horses that were stabled with the Strange’s for the winter. There were ten horses to look after all in all and though that may not seem like a lot, it most certainly was sicne looking after animals such as these was a round the clock job. Feeding, cleaning, excising, grooming, socialising… It wasn’t just a matter of throwing in some hay and hoping for the best.

 

There was one problem, however; Tony didn’t exactly own any ‘stable boy’ clothes. Thankfully, he was around the same build as Stephen, just a little shorter so once he was handed a bundle of old clothes and patchy overalls, all he had to so was roll up the legs and sleeves if needs be. 

 

This was their second day on the job and while Stephen forked out the hay onto a wheelbarrow, Tony took the full barrows and tipped them into waste trailer. It was chilly afternoon but with all this manual labour, both of them were working up a sweat and soon exhausting themselves enough to grant themselves a small break. Instead of lingering but the shit-smell stables, though, they wandered over to the the edge of one of the paddocks and both sat up on one of the fences.

 

“Hey, look… I’m sorry if this is boring to you. It’s supposed to be a holiday but we’re out here working.” In all honesty, Stephen felt pretty bummed that the one guy he made friends with at college had been dragged out to see the reality of what Stephen’s life was.

“No, it’s the opposite actually… I enjoy it!” Tony wasn’t lying either, unbuttoning his overalls so that he could pull the top half down and let it sit by his waist while they rested. “Sure, I’ve never worked on a farm before but when I’m at home, I work in my own way. I work on projects, mini-inventions; anything that keeps me occupied, really.”

Stephen was relieved. It made him feel less guilty and more like Tony actually  _ wanted _ to be there with him. Before they could talk some more, however, for the first time in 48 hours, Tony’s phone managed to get some connection and four texts suddenly showed up on his screen. His face  _ dropped _ every time he read one.

  
  


expected to see you today, are you coming home later this week?

 

\---

 

it’s my fault for keeping it a surprise but i had a surprise date planned, tony! please text me back, i’m worried

 

\---

 

i don’t think this long distance thing is working at the moment. Maybe we can talk it through?

 

\---

 

or not.

  
  


“You alright there, buddy?” Stephen tried to look over at the screen but Tony soon locked it and stuffed it back into his pocket with a huff.

“Let’s get back.”

“But we only just sat down. Are you sure you’re okay—? You know you can talk to me, right?” Without even thinking, Stephen placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder, trying to comfort the young man but unfortunately, now wasn’t the time for touching. Before he knew it, he was being grabbed and pushed down off the fence to land in the mud beneath them. At least, he hoped it was just mud, though, he highly doubted that. “What the fuck, dude?!”

He didn’t get an answer though; all Tony did was jump down and walk back over to the stables, this time he was forking the hay, quite aggressive with his stabs, if it was to be pointed out.

  
  


They worked in silence for about an hour before Stephen stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. “We still have to take Percy and Jake out for a ride before we go back - I don’t care why you’re angry ride now, just come on and prove to me that riding a camel is the same as riding a horse.” He hoped that bringing up that story again would lighten the boy up a little. Even if it was only enough to coax a few words out of him.

“Sure. I’ll take Jake. He’s the smaller one, right?”

“Right.”

 

Stephen was the one to saddle both the horses up, making sure everything was safe and secure before even letting Tony close to them.

“Alright, I’ll stand behind you as you climb up. Just in case.” He wasn’t going to take any objections and Tony simply rolled his eyes, moving forward to attempt to pull himself up. He had it.  _ Almost. _ Just as he thought he was up, his foot slipped from the stirrup but luckily, Stephen was quick to grab him from the side and push him up all the way, holding the stirrup still for Tony to put his foot back in.

“Woah! Almost! Great try for a first time though.” Stephen looked up to see Tony holding back a smile. That was enough thanks for the time being. Getting up onto the other horse with ease, Stephen began to demonstrate how to get the horse moving and to his surprise, Tony was right - he did already have an idea of how to ride. Sure, he was a little unsteady and looked like he was going to fall off half the time, but he knew the basics and that’s all he needed to know for now. 

 

Deciding to take a walk down one of the nearby trails, they came up to an open field just as the sun was setting in a clear sky. With the horses stopped, they both sat there, watching in silence before Tony finally spoke up about why he was so upset before.

“I think Pepper dumped me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.. I didn’t tell her I was coming here and honestly, the long distance thing isn’t working out for either of us.” Tony wasn’t ready to admit it aloud, but he missed having someone to touch and as much as he wanted to pretend things were fine, they really weren’t. It took Pepper saying it herself which really made things hit home.

Turning to look at him, Stephen tilted his head; “why didn’t you tell her, though?”

“I don’t know… I guess I just wanted this to be our little secret? A holiday only we experienced and only we will ever know about. I’ve… Never had that with anyone before. A secret, that is.”

 

Stephen never expected Tony to be so open about himself like this and it all began to make more sense. 

“Well, I could tell you a secret… While we’re on our secret holiday. A secret told in a secret place, to be kept secret and between us?” All he got was a slow nod in response.

 

“... I’m bi. I think. I don’t know. I mean, I  _ know  _ I like guys so that means I’m not straight but I like girls too. Bi sounds right? I don’t know, man! I haven’t spoken to people about it before, the only people who know about it are people I’ve never actually  _ spoken  _ to before. Sorry. I’m sorry, this must be weird for you to listen to.”

 

Tony didn’t say a word at first, instead just pulling at the reins to turn around and start heading back. Glancing over his shoulder though, he smiled towards Stephen, shrugging as he finally replied: “cool. Means I can talk to you about my *strong* feelings towards Harrison Ford now.”

 

Stephen had never moved his horse so fast, going into a trot in order to catch up with Tony. “Okay but Han Solo may have been an awakening for me— Wait. Does that mean you’re…”

  
“Same as you, Stephen. It never came up in conversation though so I never told you about it.” Tony seemed so… Carefree about the whole subject. Maybe things were easier in New York? Stephen just assumed they were. All he  _ could _ say for sure was that Operation Fuck Your Roommate Before The End Of The Year was back in the calendar!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the stage is set, bitches


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair spend a well deserved, chilled day off together

The days went by quite fast and before they knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived, Eugene Strange knocking upon the boys’ door early in the morning like he usually did, however, today he wasn’t doing this to wake them out and get them out to the horses. Instead he open the door as little as he could and spoke in a quiet tone: “you guys can have the day off today, you’ve earned it.”

 

“Mm, yeah… Thanks Pa.” Stephen mumbled, still half asleep by the sounds of it. Even Tony muttered  _ something _ but that was even harder to understand, his face buried in his own pillow.

 

“You two should go into town later - show Tony the sights?”

 

“Pa…” Whined Stephen, rolling over with a huff, refusing to open his eyes and look at the man: “this is  _ our _ day off, we’ll figure something out. Also--” Giving into temptation, the boy sat up, opening his eyes to peer at his father through the gap in the door. “What sights? The grocery store and the moment for that ancient guy I’m sure was pretty racist?”

 

“Okay, okay, I get your point. Do whatever you want.” Eugene simply shook his head, closing the door again and leaving the two young men to have a lie in for once.

  
  


\---

 

After what wasn’t much deliberation, the pair had decided the best way to use their free time was to play video games all day and hardly leave that very room. Uninterrupted, quality time together. Sure, Eugene wasn’t impressed when he returned home from the stables to see the two still in pajamas, eyes glued to a screen but… It was their day, after all. 

 

Stephen always thought he was pretty good at Injustice: playing the superhero and beating the crap out of people? He was great at that sort of gameplay. After all, he wouldn’t have completed the story mode if he wasn’t, right? … All except he had been playing it on easy mode and unbeknownst to him, Tony just happened to be quite the opponent. An  _ impossible  _ opponent in the end. Stephen managed to win the odd match but Tony was just too good. His reactions were swift and it was as if he memorised every combo in order to use them in the best possible times. Alas, Stephen resulted to button mashing and that only works on the odd occasion.

 

“Fuck this!” Throwing his controller down, Stephen pushed himself up off his bed, standing up for a moment, his arms crossed. Rage quitting at it’s finest. 

“I never took you for a bad loser, Strange,” joked Tony, who very peacefully placed his controller down beside him, grinning up at the pent up boy in front of him. Was it bad if he found this kind of look  _ mildly  _ attractive? Scrap the mild.  _ Very _ attractive. Every since things ended between him and Pepper, he felt his mind drifting to thoughts of Stephen and at the stupidest of times. For instance, a few days before, Tony walked out the shower and stopped dead still in the hallway on the way back to their room, thinking about Stephen’s hands of all things. They were good hands, no doubt about it. He’d make an excellent surgeon like he planned to be, though he’s also be excellent at a few other things… He only managed to snap out of his daydream when Donna walked out her room, looking Tony up and down before coughing. 

 

“ _ If I wanted to see shirtless teenage boys looking dumb, I’d watch more tv. Move out the way, please, I have places to be, women to see. _ ” She had then pushed past him and Tony quickly scuttled back into their room, speechless.

  
  


“I’m not a bad loser! It’s just the pressure of you watching.” Stephen was already rooting through his games, finding something better to play. Something he might actually be good at.

“Why don’t we play a co-op game then?” Suggested Tony, scotting forward to stand up, moving beside Stephen to see what games he had. 

 

Stephen did find that idea tempting, but he also didn’t want to be upstaged by Tony yet again. It was embarrassing. He wanted to impress Tony - that was what he planned on doing this entire holiday period. Only problem was… Tony was good at  _ a lot  _ of things, many of which Stephen thought were his own personal talents. 

 

“I promise I’ll be nice…” Added Tony, filling in the silence as they stood there, both staring at the shelf blankly. Well, until Stephen turned around to say:

 

“I don’t want you to be nice. I want you to be you.”

 

“And I don’t want you to get angry again,” Tony insisted, turning around just like Stephen had, inches away from each other.

 

“I wasn’t getting angry!” Stephen retorted rather… Angrily?

 

“Huh. Sure.” Just as Tony was about to walk away, fed up with whatever this argument was leading to, Stephen grabbed his wrist, fingers perfectly wrapped around, though loose enough that it didn’t hurt. “Hm?”

 

“Maybe we can do something else? Please? I’ve ruined today, haven’t I? Fuck.” In all seriousness, Stephen actually looked remorseful, a softer side of him showing once again. Not that Stephen would have known, but Tony really took notice of moments like these. Rare glimpses into Stephen just being himself.  The only problem was… Tony wasn’t quite sure in what way Strange had meant that suggestion.

 

So instead of assuming, he simply asked: “like what? I’m open to all ideas.” Worst case scenario, Stephen suggests they go outside and actually do the tour his father had been on about. Best case scenario?

  
  


Well, there was no need to debate that since without a word, Stephen lifted his other hand to cup Tony’s face, lingering there for a second to make sure the other boy didn’t pull away. Thank  _ God  _ he didn’t. Tony was actually blushing. He had never seen him blush like this before. No. That was a lie. He saw him blush like this once before - back at college when he was jerking off. That was a good sign if there was any, at least. This first kiss, unfortunately, was nothing spectacular. Rather sloppy. It was rushed for one reason and one reason alone. Just as their lips met, there was a creak in the hallway, Stephen quickly dropping his hand and pulling back. 

 

They stood there in silence, both listening out for anymore sound. Whoever it was or whatever it was didn’t move again, though. Perhaps it was just the wind? This was an old farmhouse after all.

 

“Wanna try that again or…” Tony drifted off, worried that Stephen was already starting to regret what he just did. That would definitely be awkward if he did since they had to share a room.

 

Stephen waited just a little while longer to make sure they really were safe before he replied with; “I want to try something even better.” Weirdly enough, he turned away from Tony and started up the game again, this time turning the sound up before he spun back around with a smirk. “I want to show you something I really am good at.”

 

Tony was a little taken back by that statement alone, however, what shocked him even more was when Stephen’s hand was suddenly in his pants, fingers wrapped around his cock. Surely this was just some kind of fever dream? “I bet it won’t even take me that long to get you hard,” Stephen whispered, the anger from moments ago nonexistent and now replaced with pride. He was smiling as he watched Tony get flustered and grab for the shelf to stabilise himself as he stood there getting jerked off. He was right as well, it really didn’t take that much for Tony to get hard - for god sake, he had been imaging Stephen’s hands for a few days now so having it actually happen was like a dream come true.

 

“H-hold on-... Do you really think we should be doing this?” Tony asked. He didn’t want Stephen to stop, but he was also concerned that his family were just downstairs and anyone could walk up at any moment and catch them like this. It was late afternoon by this point, sure, but the risk was still there.

 

Stephen didn’t seem that bothered, however. “You really want me to leave you here, blue-balled and awkward?”

 

“No…”

 

“Then shut up.” A grin flashed upon Stephen’s features, stealing a quick peck on the lips before he dropped to his knees, pulling Tony’s pants down with him. “Wait.” He paused, gazing up at his friend, trying to look past erect dick that was currently in his eyeline now. “You ever been sucked off before?”

 

“Yeah,” Tony quickly replied, sounding offended that Stephen even asked that, though he did shly add on moments later; “... Once.”

 

“Well, I just want you to warn me when you’re gonna cum, alright? I normally don’t mind swallowing but I have a Christmas Dinner to look forward to tomorrow and I’d rather not do anything that ruins my appetite until then.”

 

“Alright! Alright!” Tony hissed, his face bright red as he just wanted Stephen to shut up himself now and that, he most definitely did, his lips wrapping around the tip of Tony’s length while his hand went back to developing him at the base. Softly little moans escaped Tony but he was also trying to keep quiet due to not being home alone. He was tempted to cover his mouth with his own hand but he also noticed that went he reached down to pull Stephen’s hair, he was getting moans off him too. Certainly the better option.

 

Stephen took him deeper into his mouth, soon enough allowing Tony to basically, not to put it lightly, fuck his face. He liked it. He liked to be used like that, though he was half worried there was something deeper to it other than just being a horny teenager. Nevertheless, it was very Stephen Strange-esque to start having an existential crisis while giving someone a blow job. He almost didn’t notice it when Tony weakly blurted out, “Stephen-... I’m close. I’m gonna-” Luckily he just about caught it, pulling his head back to receive a load to the face instead of all in his mouth. 

 

“Oh my god-! I am  _ so _ sorry!” Tony somehow managed to reach down to pull his pants up before grabbing a box of tissues from the side. “I didn’t think it would be that quick.” He felt terrible! Stephen looked in a daze and he wasn’t getting any answers from him. 

 

“Hey… It’s cool.” Stephen eventually reached up and took the tissues, cleaning up his face and mumbling, “I did warn you I was good.”

 

That got a laugh out of Tony who sat down on the floor opposite him, glancing down Stephen’s lap before raising back up to his face. “Do you want me to… I can-”

 

“You don’t have to!” Stephen insisted, quite used to people not returning the favour. “Seriously, it’s fine.”

 

“I want to, you idiot.” Tony went forward onto his hands and knees and kissed Stephen again, this time there being no rush nor suddenly pulling away. Of course he was curious about why Stephen seemed so laid back about it all but that would be a conversation for another time. For now, making out while he jerked him off seemed to suffice.

 

“By the way, Stephen…” Whispered Tony, his lips hovering against his roomate’s neck as they lay tangled o the bedroom floor; “you win this round but next time I’ll be more prepared.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the next chapter, they'll be back in college so get ready for angst and some other characters showing up :^)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays are over and the boys are heading back to college to face some big news

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW// death
> 
> apologies if you might consider this a spoiler, however, i'd rather people are comfortable reading this than be negativily affected by it

Everything had seemed to be going well over the holiday period, the two young men finding solace in each other’s arms once everyone else retired to their beds. They didn’t rush to put a label on things but they were both enjoying themselves and honestly, that was enough. Frankly, not much talking went on between them until the morning they were due to go back to college. Knelt down on the carpeted floor, Tony was packing up his bag when he sat upright to look at Stephen who was sat on his bed texting his friend idly.

 

“What happens when we get back?” He asked, hands hanging down into his bag, fiddling with a sweater he had just packed away.

 

At this, Stephen put down his phone and tilted his head at the other boy: “what do you mean?”

 

“You know… Us? Is this a thing now or was this all one big secret event we keep between us?” The guy was nervous, not knowing what to expect nor what answer he preferred, really. His voice had grown quieter with every word, afraid someone would walk past the door and hear what he was saying.

 

“Uh, I don’t know. What do you want it to be?” As laid back as Stephen was forcing himself t sound, his heart was racing a million miles per hour, scared that Tony regretted their time together or simply wanted to forget it ever happened. “I mean, I’m cool with whatever honestly.” A lie. He wanted more. He wanted so much more. He wanted to run his hands through Tony’s hair as they lay in bed watching shitty movies together. He craved the touch of the other boy’s lips against his bare chest again. He didn’t want it to end.

 

“See how it goes then, I guess?” Neither one of them were saying what wanted and the conversation trailed off from there. Before they knew it, Stephen’s dad was hauling their stuff back into the car, little Victor waving happily at them both as they too made their way over to the car.

 

“Keep outta my room, okay, Vic!” Stephen shouted down the drive, pointing over at his younger brother who instantly turned his back on them and ran back inside, presumably to Stephen’s room just to piss him off. It didn’t though, he secretly found it kinda cute.

  
  
  


Their journey back, though uneventful, consisted of Eugene Strange trying to keep up conversation where they didn’t need to be one. Arriving back on campus was honestly quite the relief to the two young men, both of who eagerly got out of the car as soon as it was parked up. After having helped them get the bags out of the trunk, Eugene said his goodbyes and headed off back home, leaving the two boys to carry their stuff back to their dorm and inevitably just throw it on the floor for the time being.

 

“So…”

 

“...So.”

 

Stood with this toes almost touching, inches away from one another, Stephen looked Tony in the eye and then let his own eyes travel down his body, his tongue subconsciously wetting his lips already. That whole car journey there Stephen was trying to kid himself into thinking he wasn’t that horny but being left alone with Tony, he just couldn’t help himself.

 

“God, please fuck me—” He blurted out, his hand grabbing at the front of Tony’s jeans, wanting to touch him again. “I know you said we’d see how it goes but I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

 

“Hold up!” Tony, putting his hand on top of Stephen’s, pulled his away and held it there as he admitted: “I always thought  _ you’d _ want to… You know, fuck  _ me _ .” He assumed, with Stephen’s confidence, he’d be the one to want to top so this took him by surprise.

 

“I mean, I could? If you want?” Stephen sheepishly asked, blushing more out of embarrassment than love. All that time at home they had just been exchanging blowjobs and handjobs - nothing more than that. They didn’t want to be too loud, that’s what they had agreed on.

 

“No, no! I’m fine with it. I just wasn’t expecting this, that’s all.” He offered a smile of reassurance, a notification on his phone going off just as he did so. Pulling it out with his free hand, his face dropped as he saw his screen. “Fuck. Nine missed calls from my dad this morning?” He looked worried. Half of him wanted to call him back but half of him just wanted to fuck Stephen. Torn for a moment, it was Stephen who retracted his hand as backed up to his own bed to sit down.

 

“Call him.”

 

“But—”

 

“Just call him. You do live with me, after all. We have all the time in the world.” Granted, Stephen would much rather have been bent over his bed being fucked right now but the kid had a conscious surprisingly.

  
  


With a nod, Tony agreed to call the man back, relieved that Stephen had actually reacted like that. Bringing his phone to his ear, he waited as the line rung, an unfamiliar voice eventually picking up. Confusion struck his features, Stephen noticing and sitting forward a little. Tony was on the phone for a while, just listening at first. His lips occasionally quivered to mutter a word but nothing came out. Only once the voice on the other side went quiet did Tony utter the words: “okay… Thank you for letting me know.” He didn’t wait for an answer and simply hung up, his face pale was a sheet as he dropped down to sit on his bed, eyes starved of any emotion. He looked empty.

 

“What is it, Tony?” Asked Stephen as he stood up, back hunched over a little as he hesitantly approached his roommate.

 

“They, um.” He looked up at Stephen, biting down on his bottom lip in order to stop himself from crying. “They’re gone.” He said bluntly, shaking his head as he too stood up, though he walked away from Stephen and towards the window, his hands shakily grabbing the curtains to pull them to. “That was one of my dad’s lawyers… My parents they uh--” As he tried to explain to Stephen, he found his throat going dry, his breath tightening so much that words couldn’t even form. Thankfully, Stephen was no idiot and he pieced together what that all meant and his heart broke for him. His instant reaction was to pull Tony into a hug, his arms wrapping around him, a hand slipping up into his hair to comfort him. He himself never had never dealt with loss like this so didn’t have a clue what to say but he knew he couldn’t just leave Tony like this. At this moment, he needed someone to hold him. Nothing more, nothing less. He just needed to know he wasn’t alone.

 

“They died!” Tony cried out, his face buried in Stephen’s shoulder, his own hands digging into Stephen’s back. He didn’t even care that much for his father but it was the loss of his mother that hurt so much. To learn that they died in a car crash in the early morning of that day, he didn’t know how to take it. He was in shock. He wanted to scream, he wanted to get angry but instead his body felt too numb to even do anything. He was told on the phone that a car would come and pick him up that evening that he would be attending the funeral later that week. That he needn’t worry, everything was being sorted out. That people gave him their condolences… Not that they really knew him. If anything, he just wanted to wake up and find out this was all some stupid nightmare and he was back on Stephen’s farm, curled up in the other man’s arms. But no. This was real and he had to face it sooner or later.


End file.
